First Team
Matches
Tue 23 Apr 2024  ·  Premier Division
Dial Square F.C.
First Team
D Cenzano (11'), H Rice (34' Pen), (54')
3
1
University of Surrey
K Harris (15')
DIAL FINISH LEAGUE CAMPAIGN  UNDEFEATED AT HOME

DIAL FINISH LEAGUE CAMPAIGN UNDEFEATED AT HOME

Marc Brewer24 Apr - 12:39
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Brown praises team for "unbelievable accomplishment".

Dial rounded off their 2023/24 league campaign with a 3-1 win over the University of Surrey at Alwyns Lane on Tuesday (23 April) night.

The win brings a close to an incredible season for Steve Brown's side who have lost just once in 26 league games and scored an unprecedented 109 goals.

With the Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division title already in the bag, Brown was keen for his players to continue where they left off against Shottermill & Haslemere three days earlier.

There was also the added incentive of getting one over the University of Surrey, who remain the only side to beat Dial this season.

Despite being without several influential players, Brown was confident his squad had enough quality to see off any challenge from the students.

And Dial got off to a dream start when Dan Cenzano rose tallest in the box to head the ball over Xander Brown to open the scoring after 11 minutes.

Undeterred, the students hit back four minutes later when Kieron Harris took advantage of some lapse defending to level the proceedings.

Within 90 seconds of the restart, Surrey’s Ollie Brown came close to making it 2-1 but was denied by Andy Rider from an acute angle.

The visitors continued to move the ball around with confidence through the thirds, while Dial, at times, lacked the final pass with several balls going astray.

However, the tables turned when Charlie Marshall was upended in the box by Will Fleming, enabling Harry Rice to score his 40th league goal of the season from the penalty spot after 32 minutes.

Surrey captain Matthew Hayes and Ogaga Edward both fired off target shortly after the interval, before Rice doubled his tally on 54 minutes to make it 3-1 after a great through-ball from Finley Rose-Davies.

Edward had a good opportunity to reduce the arrears in the closing stages, but he volleyed Kieron Harris’ cross wide of the target. From thereon, it was pretty-much plain sailing for The Dial, as they played out a 3-1 victory; their twenty-second league win of the season.

Speaking after the match, Brown said: "The boys were determined to avenge their defeat against the University of Surrey earlier in the season, and they did.

"It was a strange game; we were light on players available and there wasn't really any atmosphere and it was a pretty even game. We had to shuffle the pack a bit with Charlie [Marshall] playing in central defence. However, I thought we were much better in the second half against a side who had some talented players.

"A special mention has to go to Harry [Rice] for scoring another two goals to take his [league] season tally to 41. I also thought Aidan [Phillips] was outstanding again in midfield.

"All in all, this season has been an unbelievable accomplishment," added Brown.

Dial Square line-up: Rider, Rose-Davies, Vassell, Vass, Neville (Jennings), McDermaid (Auns), Rose-Davies, Rice, Lawrence, Marshall, Cenzano (McDermaid)

MotM: Aidan Phillips

Match details

Match date

Tue 23 Apr 2024

Kickoff

19:30

Instructions

Match Venue (Home):

Chertsey Town F.C.
Alwyns Lane
Chertsey
Surrey
KT16 9DW

Competition

Premier Division

League position

1
Dial Square
8
University of Surrey
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Club Sponsor - The Ian & Clare Mattioli Charitable Trust